Book review: Devil’s Bridge by Linda Fairstein

Pam Norfolk

Tough nut New York District Attorney Alex Cooper gets a terrifying taste of life as a crime victim in Linda Fairstein’s riveting new thriller.

Devil’s Bridge is award-winning legal expert and popular author Fairstein’s seventeenth Alexandra Cooper novel and this time she takes readers where they have never been before… inside the mind of Cooper’s sidekick and now lover, police detective Mike Chapman.

Fairstein’s gritty and electrifyingly real thrillers, which explore both the beating heart of New York City and its deeper, darker side, have become cult reading for crime fans and have earned her the Silver Bullet Award from the International Thriller Writers.

Harnessing her experiences as a former New York prosecutor and her work as one of America’s foremost legal experts on crimes of violence against women and children, this exciting writer is noted for her complex plotting, sharp intellect and stunning authenticity.

Assistant District Attorney Alex ‘Coop’ Cooper has gone missing and homicide detective Mike Chapman is determined to find her, no matter what. After ten years of working together, their friendship has become more intimate and he knows her career has made her a target.

But there are so many leads and terrifying possibilities to factor into the hunt. Putting hardened criminals behind bars has left Coop with countless enemies who would happily see her dead.

A recent computer security breach, which could have dangerous repercussions, has leaked Coop’s personal details while her relationship with Mike has also left her more vulnerable.

The trail leads police to Manhattan waterfront and clues begin to point to events from Mike’s childhood. It means that to get Alex back the detective will have to confront demons he would rather forget.

But as his desperation grows, Mike’s team, including the Police Commissioner himself, become increasingly worried about the lengths he may be prepared to go to…

Fairstein delivers her trademark blend of fast-paced action, nail-biting suspense and intriguing twists and turns, but with a new and seductive frisson of tantalising romance.

For the first time in this superb series, the bulk of the drama plays out through the perspective of NYPD cop Mike Chapman and as the search for Coop becomes more urgent, her new lover grows increasingly reckless.

Set against the magnificent backdrop of Manhattan’s waterfront, dominated by the imposing Statue of Liberty, this is a thriller to enthral, inform and entertain.

(Sphere, paperback, £8.99)

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